Wood-finishing.



1.110 n. emu-m mn'nammm. rnuanow, 01mm, nnw rom nssreno'ns Ironin specification otnettr: a; -Patented l 1ar. 5, 1 912,

Application filed 80, 1909,8efial No. 498,180. Renewed December 21,1911. Serial No. 37 v j To all whom it may Be it known that we, Luo H. Bammm'nn and NATHANIEL THURLOW, citizens of the United States, residing at Yonkers, 1n the county of Wcstchester and State of New York, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Wood-Finishing, of whlch the following is a specification.

This invention relates tothe reduct on of articles consisting of; orgf'sur acedw1th wood or like fibrous or'cellularfmaterials, to which is applied a coating of a condensation product, specifically anjinsoluble. and

- infusible synthetic condensation product'resulting from the reaction under proper conditions of formaldehyde on phenol or a phenolic body.

The usual methods of filllShlIl or several coats of varnish, each of which is sand-papered, polished and rubbed to secure tions, which can be satisfactorily performed.

a smooth and brilliant finish. This method involves long, tedious and diificult operaonly by skilled worlnnen. For. example, in

finishing pianos,'twelve days to three eeks may be. required before the final coat can be applied, the intervening time belng consumed in re-varnishing, drying and re-polishing. According to the present invention there may be produced upon wood or like fibrous or cellular bodies, in a few minutes and by a single operation, a finished coat which may be of any desired character or degree of brilliance, and which is harder, more durable and more resistant to the effects of moisture and chemical action than any coat or finish heretofore'used. This coat contains as an essential component an in-- soluble'and infusible condensation product of phenol and formaldehyde of the charac ter described in the co-pending applications --among which are certain partial reaction products which may be either liquid orsolid wood in' the form of furniture or other s apes con-' sists in first imparting to the same a smooth surface, to which is afterward applied onenickel. Duringthe operation 0 and which considerfblef variation with respect to solubility, theseipartial rea.

action products having in common the-dis,

tinguishing property of undergoing t f formation under the influence of heati t the insoluble and infusiblecondensation products-.According to the present invention therefmay be applied to'the surface of. the wood an nitial condensation product of the above type produced b reactin u on phenol with formaldehyde, g p

portions, this product being applied either 1n proper pro 1 in a liquid or viscous state or in alcoholic or. other solutlon. Or a mlxture of a proxif-g mately equalvolumes of commercial ormal-I dehyde and a phenolic body, to which a I suitable condensing agent, preferably an i alkaline substance product mayform slowly at ordinary temper- .a.t ures,.or its formation may be hastened by s'llght heat-mg. In whatever way the initial condensation product may have been applied, the wood is now slightly heated until after cooling it appears dry to the touch. The surface of the wood to be finished, as-

A may be added, can'be apzplled to the surface of, the .-wood and there react to yield the initial condensation product -above refer'red'to. This initial condensation suming that a brilliant finish is desired, is then pressed against aperfectly smooth and hard surface, preferably a sheet-of metal,

as for example steel or brass properly pole;

ished and. provided with a thin i plating of" heat is applied, the temperature, being raised sufliciently to transform the initial condensation product quickly into the final hard and insoluble condensation product. This operation is best performed in a so-called veneer press provided with heating means such heating means may comprise a flame, or steamheated platens, or any approved electrical or other heating device." Whatever source of heat be employed, it is advisable to conduct the operation at comparatively high temperatures. At temperatures. of 150 to 200 (1,

the reaction whereby the soluble and fusible initial product is transformed into the inp ng soluble and infusible :final condensation product occurs quickly and may be completed under proper conditions in from ten to twenty minutes. The fact that these high temperatures may be safely used without i ed veneer to a wooden or other base, the condensation. products serving not only as a finishing"material for the exposed surface injury to the wood is highly important for the economical and rapid practice. of the method, and is probably due to the protective or sealing effect of the coating substance, maintained under pressure during .the transformation. It is thus possible in a few minutes to provide awooden surface time and labor. F urthermore,- the thin layer of the infusible and insoluble condensation productforms a hard surface which cannot 1 be scratched by the nail, and which is capable of withstanding water, steam, alco hol and most chemicals. Not onlyis the surface highly ornamental in character, but

by reason of the peculiar properties of the coating material there is imparted. to the wood a higher degree of resistance towear than'has heretofore been obtained by any method, not excepting the laborious methods v of ceilings or 1panels,the ornamental eflect 3 above referred to.

The procedure may be modified'in yariousj For example, instead of presslngth'ej wood against a smoothior plane surways.

face, it maybepressed against a grained, dull or matte surface,'or against any ornamental surface presentin'g a suitable design or relief to: be imparted to the finished arti- :cle.. The process-may also modified as follows: The soft wood is impregnated with; the initial'rondensation product in any of the ways above described, and during the I 1 act of'fi nishing is compressed in such manner'fas to increase, its density whileat the same timeimparting to it a surface olis'h or finish and anydesired shapeor con gura tion. The coating material may in all cases be-colored' as desired by the addition of dyes or pigments,

A highly advantageousembodiment bf the process consists-1n coating veneer by dipping orotherwise with the initial con: densati'on products or the materials that can engender them, and then applying the coat:

of. the veneerbutattachingtlie veneer in serted intheiveneer press, and under' the influence of heat and pressure the desired compound which binds the veneer to the infusibleand insoluble condensation product is produced. There is thus obtained not only the desired finish on the exterior s'urface of the. veneer, but the veneer is firmly and permanently attached to the wood or base which itcovers. The advantages of.

this method of procedure 'are obvious. The

wood is of. such -character that neither moisturenor solvents will aifector-loosen it.- The veneered article is forthis reason far superior, to the known'productswherein metallic. tension members,

' In order" to. render.v it more practical, it is defsirableto -t'ransform"or harden the initial condensathe veneer is simply "glued to the wood and afterward finished by the usual varnishing methods. The present, method moreover involves-buta single operation which is very quickly and economically performed. In the same way, a veneer or surface of wood can be, applied to metallic or:other'bases,-

as for-"example to steel or aluminum plates, asbestos ;board or fabric, cement, stone or; other, incombustible supporting bodies;

These non-combustible substances are thereby covered with a highly ornamental thin coating ofveneer, forming" articles which while'possessing the appearance of highly ornamental wood are incombustible, far

stronger and more durable'than woodg and subject tonone of its disadvantages. c Ceiling or .;.wainscotin'g panels, parquet floormg, and like articles, can be made by applying a thin coat of woodor veneer on 35 any desired support or base. Int-he case I may. be increased by imparting, during the act of finishing, any desired design or shape :veneer may be applied to any-stifi paper or pulp-board, and in order to increase the resistance of such pervious bases to-moisture and atmospheric agencies, or to stiffen them,

the paper or board may be impregnatedta with suitable s'ubstance,-preferably the cons densation product above mentioned; or the base may be strengthened by the. use of,

as for example wire netting.

shorten the operation and to tion product after it has .been' applied and before thelact ofpressing until 'it has as sumed' a semi hard'ened state; 'In fact, it' may be desirable to transform it into the so-called intermediate condensation product. This ca-n be very simply effected by drying the coated article 'atamoderate temperature or by addinga suitable proportion of com 'd'ensing agents until. the condensation prodnot has acquired a consistence which makes 1 it suificiently hardtoproceed to'the -operation' of pressing, but-Ihas not-yet acquired the maximum hardnessof the 'so-called final condensation product. .The coated article .is'

then subjected as above described "to the joint' action 'of heat and pressure, whereby the. transformation into the final condensation productis very. speedily eifected. i The methods herein described are also applicable for finishing and imparting a durable and brilliant 7 surface a to materials having the essential characteristics, for the 12-5 purposes of this invention, of wood, such for example as cardboard, p'ulpboard, paper or like fibrous 'or cellular-bodies. i

A product in accordance with thisinven tion"and aprocess of forming the product byem'bossing-or otherwise. I Similarly, the 90 I consists in' applying are diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a sectional view of a product in accordance with our invention; and Fig. 2 is a sectional view illustrating one method of forming the product.

In said drawing the numeral 1 represents a base of wood or other material, 2 a veneer of wood applied thereto, and 3 a superficial coating of the final condensation product of phenol andlformaldehyde. A layer of the condensation product between the base and veneer is indicated at 4. In Fig. 2 the parts above described are illustratedas assembled upon a suitable support 5 and subjected thereon to pressure exerted between this support and the heated plate 6, having such finish as it is desired to impart to the surface of the completed article. A

The word phenol as emplo ed in the claims is intended to include suc phenolic 'bodie as are the equivalents ofphenol for the p rposes of this invention, and the word.

formaldehyde is intended to include the polymers of formaldehyde.

We laim:

1. The method of finishing wood which consists in applyin thereto a coating consisting essentially o a condensation product of phenol and formaldehyde which is capable of transformation under the influence of heat into an insoluble and infusible coating material, and then pressing the coated surface, with simultaneous application of heat, against a surface having the desired lsh. 2. The method of finishing wood which thereto a coating consisting essentially o a condensation product of phenol and formaldehyde which is capa ble of transformation under the influence of heat into an insoluble and infusible coating material, partially effecting this transformation, and then pressing the coated surface, with simultaneous application of heat, against a surface having the desired finish.

- 3. The method of attaching and finishing a veneer in a single operation, which consists in applyin to the veneer a coating consisting essentia 1y of a condensation product of phenol and formaldehyde which is capable of transformation under the influence of heat into an insoluble and infusible substance, and then pressing the coated veneer against the base to be veneered, with simultaneous application of heat, thereby simultaneously finishing the veneer and permanently securing-the same to the base.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a base, and a veneer of wood therefor, said veneer attached to said base by means of an infusible and insoluble condensation product of phenol and formaldehyde, and having a surface coating thereof.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a noncombustible base, and a veneer of wood therefor, said veneer attached to said base by means of an infusible and insoluble con-.-

densation roduct of phenol and formaldehyde, and aving a surface coating thereof. In testimony whereof, we afiix our signa tures in'presence of two witnesses.

LEO H. BAEKELAND. NATHANIEL THURLOW. Witnesses:

H. S. TABBELL, MARY L. Snon'r. 

